Car-coupling.



'No. 656,844. Patented Aug. 28, I900 J. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING.

(Applicatipn filed Aug. 1, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet l.

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CAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Aug. 1 1899.) r (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pa tented Aug. 28, 1900.

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'tional elevationof a coupler having my im- STAT S PATENT Orrroa.

JOSEPH KELSO, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNoR'ro THE MOOONWAY a TORLEY COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

CAR-IICO'UPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters ratent No. 656,844, dated August 28,1900.

Application filed August 1, 1899.

To all whom it may concern: L

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Knriso, a citizen of the United States, residing atPittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedor discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Car-' Couplers, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates t certain improvements in car-couplers of the J anney or the vertical-plane swing-hook type, and has for its object a swinging part or member adapted in one position to support the locking-pin in unlocked position and when shifted and the locking-pin dropped to normal or looking position to prevent any creeping or accidental movement of the lockingpin.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming-a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sec provement applied thereto, showing the parts in normal position, the hook being closed and locked. Fig. 2 is'a sectional plan'view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 1, showing, respectively, the locking pin sup ported in unlocked released positions. Fig. 5 is an enlargedview of the upper portionof the locking-pin. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail views, on an enlarged scale, of theswinging member and its dogs, showing their positions in normal, supporting, and intermediate positions.

The coupler as regards the head 1 and swinging hook or knuckle 2 is constructed in the usual or any suitable manner.

The locking-pin may be of any form or shape and is so arranged as to be capable of being shifted into and out of the path of the tail 3 of the knuckle by a' substantially-vertical movement. By preference the locking-pin consists of a head t and a guiding-stem 5 and is provided with guide-openings in the upper and lower walls of the coupler-head, said openings being so located that the stem 5 will be at all times outside of the path of movement of the tailpiece 3; but the head a will when the pin is in normal position project into such path of movement. The head 4 is Serial No. 725,743. (No model.)

sition independent of its operating mechanism, thereby permitting of the opening of the knuckle at some subsequent time without further manipulation of the locking-pin. To this end a post or latch 7 is pivotally mounted on the locking-pin in such manner that its lower'or free end will swing outside of the path of movement of the looking-pin, the center of movement of the post or latch being above the path of the tailpiece of the knuckle. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the post or latch is made of such a length and its point of connec tion with thelocking-pin is so located that its lower end will project when the post or latch is in supporting position below the lowest point of the incline 6'and will take a bearing on the tailpiece of the knuckle if the latter is in closed position, thereby supporting or holding the locking-pin entirely clear of the path of: movement of the tail of the knuckle. The shape or contour of the post or latch or that of the tail of the knuckle is immaterial, provided that the post or latch shall have a bearing on the tailpiecewhen the latter is in or approximately in closed position and the pin raised to unlocking position. As in the construction shown in the drawings, the pivotal point of the post or latch is in front of that face a of the head 4 against which thetail of the knuckle bears, and a ledge or shelf 8, adapted to form a bearing or step for the post or latch, is formed on the front side of the tailpiece. In the construction shown the post or latch is provided at or near its upper end with a laterallyprojecting pin 9, which is loosely mounted in holes 10, formed in the walls of the head 4. As the lower end of the post or latch projects below the inclined face 6 and would therefore be in the path of movement of the tailpiece when the pin is down, the post or latch will be pushed to one side by the closing movement of the tailpiece, as shown in Fig. 4:. As the pin drops to locking position after the tailpiece has passed from under the inclined face 6 the post or latch will be turned to the horizontal or looking position. (Shownin Figs. 1 and 2.) As the free end of the post or latch when in horizontal position extends under the upper wall of the couplerhead, it will prevent'any upward movement of the locking-pin if locked in this horizontal position.

While any suitable form or construction of lock may be employed for holding the post or latch in looking position, the construction shown in the drawings forms a very desirable and efficient mechanism for that purpose. This mechanism consists of an arm 11, secured to or formed on the pivot-pin 9, so as to move within the hollow head 4:. This arm is provided on one side with teeth 12 and 13, adapted to engage a tooth 14; on the gravity-block 15, movably arranged within the head of the pin. "When the post or latch is in a vertical position, the-rounded outer end of the arm 11 enters a correspondingly-shaped recess on one side of the tooth 14 of the gravity-block and serves to steady the post or latch while in a vertical position, but not to present any material resistance to its being shifted by the tailpiece when moving to closed position. When the post or latch has been turned from supporting position to the intermediate position (shown in Fig.4) by the tailpiece,the tooth 14 will engage the inside face of the tooth 13 of the arm, and thereby prevent any return of the post or latch to supporting position, but will permit of the shifting of the post or latch to locking position, as shown, by the dropping, of the locking-pin to locking position, as shown in Fig. 1. The post or latch is held in looking position by the engagement of the tooth 14 with the tooth 12 of the arm 11, as shown in Fig. (i. It will be observed that the teeth on the arm 11 and the tooth on the gravity-block 15 are so inclined that pressure of one tooth on the other will not have any considerable lifting action, but tends to- In order to.

block to release the post or latch before the locking-pin is lifted.

In order to shift the post or latch from supporting position without opening and closing the knuckle, a finger 20 is so formed on the post or latch as to be accessible through an opening in the upper wall of the draw-head.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In a car-coupler of the vertical-plane or Janney type, the combination of a verticallymoving locking-pin, a post or latch so connected to the pin as to swing to avertical position onto the tailpiece of the knuckle when the locking-pin is raised and to a horizontal position when the locking-pin is dropped,and means for locking the post or latch in such horizontal position,substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupler of the vertical-plane or Janney type, the combination of a verticallymoving locking-pin or block, a movable post or latch adapted in one position to support the pin in unlocked position and to be shifted by the tail of the knuckle and when shifted to lock the pin in locking position, and means for locking the post or latch in looking position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-coupler of the vertical-plane or Janney type, the combination of a lockingpin or block automatically movable to looking position, a post or latch automatically movable on the shifting of the pin from engagementwith the tail of the knuckle to a position where it will hold the pin or block out of engagement with the tailpiece and movable by the tailpiece when the knuckle is closed to a position where it will hold the locking-pin or block in engagement with the tailpiece, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-coupler of the vertical-plane or Janney type, the combination of averticallymoving locking-pin, a post or latch 7 pivotally connected to the locking-pin, and agravity-block for holding the latch in locking position, substantially as set forth. I

5. In a car-coupler of the vertical-plane or Janney type, the combination of a verticallymoving locking-pin, a post or latch 7 pivoted to the locking-pin, a toothed arm connected to the post or latch and a gravity-block provided with a tooth for engagement with said arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH KELSO. Witnesses:

JOSEPH STANTON, J. W. HARTLEY. 

